National Review Online SR-71 Blackbird slide show

nationalreview.com ^ | 12/23/2014 | unknown

[rktman]

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the SR-71 Blackbird, the Air Force’s sleek, high-flying Cold War reconnaissance workhorse that still holds several world air-speed records. Here’s a look back at the amazing aircraft.

[Gen.Blather]

“My Dad said that innovation slowed down significantly in the mid 60s when Congress took closer control of the DOD.”

Interesting. I was on several classified projects in the 80’s. I witnessed almost 100% shutdowns before, during and after customer visits and government audits. Even a simple phone call often tied up priceless talent for inordinate timeframes. The more management “help” you have the less work you get done. Funny, though, I’m certain all those officials felt they were doing good work, keeping themselves fully informed and in the loop.

[doorgunner69]

I finally scored a used copy of “The Untouchables” off Amazon after waiting for many months for the price to come down below $75. Fascinating book.

[03A3]

Saw them at Kadena back in the early 80’s. Stars and Stripes did an interesting article on them back then. The two things I remember most was when working on an engine in a test cell they had to put a slave engine in front with the exhaust flowing directly in the SR’s engine to simulate temperature at altitude. The other was the crew heating up meal packets on the windows.

[Chode]

wonder if this is some king of exterrnal burning test module...

[Sirius Lee]

Cool! You got a pic of one at low altitude. Right down on the deck practically.

[TwelveOfTwenty]

The United States could produce aircraft and weapon system like this when we didn't blow over 2/3rds of our budget on entitlements and welfare.

Yup. Now, we can't even transport our own astronauts to and from the space station.

But at least the flukes can get their free, tax payer funded abortions.

[SkyPilot]

Actually, I don't think that is correct. The 2/3rds of our budget that goes to entitlements (both earned and unearned) go to direct payments - checks, benefits.

Not government salaries.

That is chump change in comparison with direct payments, and payment for Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security.

We also have 70+ unearned welfare programs that consume a large portion of the budget.

[doorgunner69]

Might be the launch attachment for the infamous D-21 drone?

[Chode]

very possible...

[matthew fuller]

I was supplementing your post, not arguing- Merry Christmas!

[DAC21]

A flying fuel tank, with a very good camera. It has done it’s job well.

[matthew fuller]

"What caught their attention was the distinctive double sonic boom of an SR-71"

Was the SR-71 the only aircraft that produced that double sonic boom? I seem to remember that most of the ones that I heard were that type (in the late 60's). I think that there were a lot of the B-58's flying at that time, and that's what I thought they were.

[Secret Agent Man]

of course it was low-balled. probably around mach 4. not more than 5 for sure.

[faithhopecharity]

There’s a SR-71B on public display at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo museum. You can reach up and ( if you’re fairly tall, or with the aid of a milk crate) touch it as you walk underneath the plane (which is suspended over the floor of the indoor part of the museum). A real thrill

[Taxman]

That was my experience, also.

The program office poobahs could not lead, they would not follow, and they sure as Hell would not get out of the way!

[Kozak]

Was at an Air show at Wright Pat in Dayton Oh. The SR. 71 was scheduled to fly by. Announcer got on the horn and said " the SR. 71 is taking off from Beall AFB ( Ca), and should be overhead in 45 Minutes

[Yosemitest]

The DemocRATs robbed the general fund blind, and BROKE Social Security and Medicare.
That's what they rammed through Obamacare, which is also designed to FAIL, while they rob our children and their children, so as to "Collapse The System" .

Only idiots and the evil voted for Obama, or ANY of the Democrats.
They've lied to us, constantly, and really are "Collapsing the System".
And now, these "Useful IDIOTS" who voted for them, are buying the lies that "Obamacare was designed to work." ?
It was designed to fail from the start.
THEN ... THEY GO TO THE "SINGLE-PAYER SYSTEM".

Flashback: Obama's Campaign to Transition to Single Payer Health Care (VIDEO)


obama master plan on health careover the years in his own words--SINGLE PAYER!!! ( 3:38 )

They've been sucking our wallets dry for over four years now on the "Obamacare" LIE.
AND NOW THEY WANT MORE TAXES ?
Our Founding Fathers would have hung them already!

Lets review:

Who was it that cut future funding for Medicare by $575 billion?

...the president and the Democratic Party successfully bamboozle voters... The 2012 election could turn on this falsehood.
The truth is that the Obama health law reduces future funding for Medicare by $575 billion over the next 10 years ...

Mr. Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius frequently make that false claim.
Indeed, even Medicare's mailings to seniors repeat the claim that reducing spending on Medicare will make it more financially secure for future years.
The fact is that Mr. Obama's law raids Medicare.

Who was it that moved Medicare Trust Funds out of the "trust box" and into the General Revenue, replacing them with Government I.O.U.s?
"In early 1968 President Lyndon Johnson [DEMOCRAT] made a change in the budget presentation by including Social Security and all other trust funds in a"unified budget." "

Who was it that expanded Medicare and Medicaid to cover many, many more people than it was originally designed to cover?

The History of Medicare

In 1965, the Social Security Act established both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare was a responsibility of the Social Security Administration (SSA), while Federal assistance to the State Medicaid programs was administered by the Social and Rehabilitation Service (SRS). SSA and SRS were agencies in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW). In 1977, the Health Care Financing Administration was created under HEW to effectively coordinate Medicare and Medicaid. In 1980 HEW was divided into the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The first U.S. President to propose a prepaid health insurance plan was Harry S. Truman [DEMOCRAT]. On November 19, 1945, in a special message to Congress, President Truman outlined a comprehensive, prepaid medical insurance plan for all people through the Social Security system. The plan included doctors and hospitals, and nursing, laboratory, and dental services; it was dubbed "National Health Insurance." Furthermore, medical insurance benefits for needy people were to be financed from Federal revenues.

Over the years, lawmakers narrowed the field of health insurance recipients largely to social security beneficiaries. A national survey found that only 56 percent of those 65 years of age or older had health insurance. President John F. Kennedy [DEMOCRAT] pressed legislators for health insurance for the aged. However, it wasn't until 1965 that President Lyndon B. Johnson signed H.R. 6675 (The Social Security Act of 1965; PL 89-97) to provide health insurance for the elderly and the poor.

On July 30, 1965, President Johnson signed the Medicare and Medicaid Bill (Title XVIII and Title XIX of the Social Security Act) in Independence, Missouri in the presence of former President Truman, who received the first Medicare card at the ceremony; Lady Bird Johnson, Vice-President Hubert Humphrey, and Mrs. Truman also were present. President Johnson remarked: "We marvel not simply at the passage of this Bill but that it took so many years to pass it."

Medicare extended health coverage to almost all Americans aged 65 or older. About 19 million beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare in the first year of the program. Medicaid provided access to health care services for certain low-income persons and expanded the existing Federal-State welfare structure that assisted the poor.

The 1972 Social Security Amendments expanded Medicare to provide coverage to two additional high risk groups disabled persons receiving cash benefits for 24 months under the social security program and persons suffering from end-stage renal disease.

...(continued at link)

So Democrats,

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR INSURING THE FAILURE
OF THE MEDICARE/MEDICAID PROGRAM,
and now YOU DEMOCRATS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INTENTIONAL DESTRUCTION OF THE U.S.A. ECONOMY!!!

So DEMOCRATS ... SHUT UP!!!

You have no integrity!!!

Sen Mark Kirk's statement Thursday, Dec 1, 2011 ...

"There are 55 million Social Security beneficiaries that will see little or no extra cash from this 2012 tax holiday; instead, the dedicated payroll contributions meant to pay for future benefits are being diverted from the Trust Fund
and replaced with Treasury debt that does not even have a AAA credit rating.
Social Security was designed to be independent and free from the danger of Congressional manipulation,
and maintaining the firewall between the Social Security Trust Fund and general government funding is the best way to maintain the solvency of this important program.
Neither bill protects the Social Security Trust Fund
so I voted no. "

It's not our fault that DEMOCRATS raided the Social Security Trust Fund.
Let's remember ...

Not ALL are to blame for the empty lock box.

It's the Democrats Communists.

Let's take a deeper look.

Obama: "I Don't Want the Folks who Created the Mess to do a lot of Talking" "

Okay, then the DEMOCRATS need to shut up!!!

[Carry_Okie]

I was supplementing your post, not arguing- Merry Christmas!

Sorry. I'd first looked up that page because I remembered the YF-12A and had always wondered about its relationship with the SR-71. Finding the A-12 as a precursor threw me for a loop and I was expecting others to question it.

Merry Christmas to you too! Ours was wonderful, thank you.

[doorgunner69]

"Was the SR-71 the only aircraft that produced that double sonic boom? "

Nope.Sonic booms were a lot more common when I was a kid, and I heard them out in the desert a few times (including a B-70 overflight).

In more recent years, the Shuttle coming into Edwards would give you a righteous double boom as it crossed the coast north of us.

Dunno the physics of it.

[PLMerite]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_Aerospike_SR-71_Experiment